GST collections up by 20%; Siddaramaiah pushes for higher tax efficiency

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday pushed the state’s revenue-generating departments to increase tax efficiency even as three of them have mopped up Rs 57,142 crore so far this fiscal. 

Siddaramaiah reviewed the commercial taxes, excise, transport, stamps & registrations and mines & geology departments. 

By the end of August, the state’s GST collections were Rs 37,686 crore against Rs 32,578 crore in the corresponding period last year. 

The excise department has mopped up Rs 15,122 crore against Rs 13,526 crore last year.

The transport department has managed Rs 4,334 crore against Rs 3,646 crore. 

According to a senior officer, the revenue collection for Stamps and Registration and Mines & Geology departments are “not appreciable”. 

The government is in the process of revising guidance values and hopes to improve revenues from property registrations and stamp duties. Revenues from Mines & Geology are being held back due to several issues related to forest clearances, sources said. 

Siddaramaiah instructed commercial tax officers to take strict action against cases of tax evasion, leakage and pilferage. 

The commercial tax growth rate in Karnataka is 19.2 per cent, which Siddaramaiah said is the highest in the country whose average is 15 per cent.

The state’s share in the total tax collection of the country is 9.4 per cent, he said. Siddaramaiah asked officials to outdo the growth target of 24 per cent. 

So far, GST collections in the state is Rs 37,686 crore, which is a 20 per cent growth over the same period last year. “To reach the target of Rs 1.01 lakh crore, we need to grow at 24 per cent over the last year’s collection of about Rs 80,000 crore,” an official said.

Siddaramaiah asked the excise department to curb bootlegging, especially the illegal entry of liquor from Goa. “Production and sale of illegal liquor adversely affects the income and health of the poor,” the CM said. 

The excise revenue target for the current fiscal is Rs 36,000 crore and the growth rate of tax collection is 5.31 per cent.